Type-writing machine



(No Model.) i 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

, H. S. DUKES.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE. No. 587,432. Patented Aug. 3,1897.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets$heet 2. H. S. DUKES. TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

No. 587,432. PatentedA'ug. 3,1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT GEEIQE.

HARRY S. DUKES, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 587,432, dated August 3, 1897.

Application filed February 28, 1896. Renewed Tune 4, 1897. Serial No, 639,469. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY S. DUKES, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Type-Writing Machine, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to type-writing machines, and particularly to printing mechanism therefor; and the object in View is to provide improved double-case mechanism, whereby each key is adapted to be used to impress a plurality of characters.

Further-objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a type-writing machine provided with printing mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail View in perspective of one of the brackets for the type-bar-supporting ring.-

Fig. 4 is a detail vertical section of the same on the plane indicated by the line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the plane indicated by the line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a comparative diagram showing two type-bars and operating connections, one of which is arranged in the upper and the other in the lower case position.

Similar numerals and letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates a portion of the framework of a machine, constituting a carriage or its equivalent upon which the type-bar-operating mechanism is mounted; but inasmuch as the special construction of the machine other than the printing mechanism forms no part of my present invention I have deemed it sufficient to illustrate only so much of the machine as to show one position in which the printing mechanism may be arranged.

2 represents a type-bar-supporting ring which is connected to the frame by means of brackets 3. These brackets are provided with perforated ears 4 for engagement by screws 5 to secure said parts to the frame, and said brackets are provided at their inner ends with vertical parallel-sided guides 6, in which are mounted slides 7, secured to the extremities of the type-bar-supporting ring. The slides 7 are provided with wings 8, which are bolted or secured by screws 9 to the ends of the typebar-supporting ring, and in the'guides 6 are arranged compensating blocks 10, engaged by set-screws 11, by which said blocks may be adjusted to take up lost motion caused by wear of the contacting faces of the slide and guides. The guides are separated by a stationary web 12, and the slide at each end of the type-bar-supporting ring is bifurcated to receive said web.

In the construction illustrated in the drawings the type-bar-supporting ring is crescentshaped, with its open side to the rear and the slides attached to the extremities thereof; but it will be understood that other common forms of supporting-rings may be employed with equal advantage.

Mounted upon the type-bar-supporting ring are the type-bars 13, each type-bar being provided with type-heads disposed with their faces in different planes disposed at an angle to each other. In the construction illustrated the planes of the faces of the type-heads are disposed at an obtuse angle, whereby when the fulcrum of the type-bar is disposed at such a distance from the platen or printing plane as to cause one type-face to occupy the printing position the other type-face is out of contact with the platen or is spaced from the printing plane. This necessitates the alteration of the distance of the fulcrum of the type-bar from the printing plane in order to bring the other type-face into operative position. In other words, the faces of the typeheads carried by the type-bars of the improved printing mechanism are disposed in such relative positions as to require an alteration of the distance of the fulcrum of the typebar from the printing plane to bring the several type-faces into operative position. In order to accomplish this alteration of position or change of interval between the fulcrum of the type-bar and the printing plane, I employ the supporting-ring, mounted as above described, whereby it is capable of movement toward and from the printing plane, said printing plane being illustrated by the line 14 in Fig. Gand consisting, according to the particular construction of the machine, of a plate, a roller, or other equivalent device.

In the construction shown each type-bar is provided with two type-heads l5 and 16, but it is obvious that while this is sufficient to illustrate that the change of case is accomplished by a change of position of the typebar-supportin g ring with relation to the printing plane I do not desire to be limited to any particular number of type-heads, for the reason that the number may be varied without materially altering the construction of the mechanism. The number of typeheads carried by each type-bar regulates the number of positions which the type-bar-supporting ring must occupy in order to bring the several type-heads successively into operative position, all of the type-heads being arranged in different planes.

The means for operating the type-bars may be varied to suit the class of machine to which the improvement is applied, provided the parts are connected to allow the necessary freedom of movement of the type-bar-supporting ring without affecting'the directness of the communication of motion. In the drawings I have shown the type-bar provided with an angularly-disposed arm 17, the extremity of this arm being connected with one arm 18 of a bell-crank lever by means of a rod 19, said bell-crank lever being fulcrumed upon a pivot-rod 20, which constitutes a fixed fulcrum.

By fixed fulcrum is meant a fulcrum which is unaffected by the movement of the type-bar-supporting ring.

In a machine in which the printing mechanism is mounted upon the carriage, as in the construction illustrated, all parts of the printing mechanism are movable with relation to the base; but the fulcrum is fixed with relation to the carriage. The key 21 is connected by means of its stem 22 to one end of a rocking lever 23, supported upon the frame and provided with a suitable actuating-spring 24, and the other end of said lever is connected to the bell-crank lever by means of a drawwire 25.

Thus it will be seen that the type-bar-supporting ring may be adjusted to change the case without affecting the keys and connections, owing to the loose connecting-rod 19, which is interposed between the type-bar and the bell-crank lever, which is mounted upon a fixed pivot, and in order to facilitate the adjustmentof the type-bar-supporting ring I employ a case-key 26, connected to a casekey lever 27, which is fulcrumed at an intermediate point, as shown at 28, and extends under the supporting-ring. The case-key lever is preferably U-shaped, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, with the extremities of its arms arranged under the extremities of the supporting-ring and provided with cushions 29 to bear against the same.

In Fig. 6 I have shown at A the relative positions of the parts when using the lowercase characters, the fulcrum of the type-bar being at a less distance from the printing plane 14 than at B, in which the parts are shown in the relative positions which they assume when using the upper-case characters. In both cases the type-bars are shown in the printing position, as when the key connected thereto is depressed; but a comparison of said parts in Fig. 6 will show that with the exception of the connecting-rod 19 the connections occupy the same positions in both adjustments of the type-bar fulcrum. At A the connecting-rod 19 is shown inclined downward toward the type-bar, while at B said rod is shown inclined upward, the leverage, however, remaining substantially the same in all positions of the parts.

In connection with the guides for the typebar-supporting ring I employ adjustable stops 30, consisting of set-screws, which are threaded in the upper ends of the guides, with their lower extremities in the paths of the slides, whereby the extent of vertical movement of the supporting-ring may be regulated to suit the angular disposition of the typefaces and preserve the alinement.

It is obvious that various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without de parting from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a type-writing machine, a type-barsupporting ring movable perpendicularly toward and from a printing plane, means for moving the supporting-ring, type-bars each having a plurality of type-heads arranged in different relatively angular positions, key-le* vers having fixed fulcrums and movable at their extremities in directions perpendicular to the printing plane, and connections be tween the key-levers and type-bars, substantially as specified.

2. In a type-writing machine, the combination with a stationary frame, of a type-ban supporting ring mounted for independent movement toward and from a printing plane, type-bars each provided with a plurality of type-heads arranged in different relatively angular positions, means for moving the sup-.

porting-ring, and operating connections for the type-bars, inclndin g key-levers f ulcrumed upon the stationary frame, intermediate levers connected to the key-levers and having fixed fulcru ms, andlinks between each intermediate lever and a type-bar, substantially as specified.

3. In a type-writing machine, the combination with a frame, of guides arranged perpendicular to the writing plane, and having compensating blocks arranged for adjustment transverse to the length of the guides, means for adjusting said blocks, a type-bar-supporting ring provided with slides mounted in the guides, means for moving the supporting ring toward and from the writing plane, typebars carried by the supporting-ring and provided with a plurality of type-heads arranged in diiferent relatively angular positions, and operating connections for the type-bars, substantially as specified.

4. In a type-writing machine, the combination with a frame, of guides arranged perpendicular to the plane of writing, a type-barsupporting ring provided with slides mounted in said guides to move perpendicularly toward and from the writing plane and normally held by gravity in a depressed position,

a case-key lever having arms arranged under the supporting-ring and provided with terminal cushions to bear against the same, typebars mounted upon the supporting-ring and provided with a plurality of type-heads arranged in relatively angular positions, and operating connections for the type-bars, including key levers having fixed fllICIllIHS, bellcrank levers 18, and links between the arms of levers 18 and the key-levers and type-bars, respectively, substantially as specified.

5. In a type-writing machine, the combination with a frame, of a type-bar-supporting ring mounted for movement perpendicularly toward and from the writing plane, type-bars mounted upon the supporting-ring and provided with a plurality of type-heads arranged in different relatively angular positions, means for moving the supporting-ring toward and from the writing plane, bell-crank levers having fixed fulcrums, connecting rods between the bell-crank levers and arms 17 of the type-bars and occupying an approximately horizontal position, to provide for vertical movement of the type-bars without affecting the operation of bell-crank le- HARRY s. DUKES.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. SIGGERS, IDA I. OBoXToN. 

